What: In early 2010, the New York Times reported that an Italian reprint of the novel Auntie Mame had become a surprise bestseller. Why? Maybe it's the economic parallels with our time, as the titular Manhattan socialite crashes with the Great Depression, but comes out triumphant on the other side. Possibly it's the effervescent humor of Patrick Dennis's writing. (The New York Times doubts that this is the reason. The article implies that Italians are, for the most part, humorless.) Most likely, it's Mame herself, with her ineffable panache and progressive charm.
Comparable to: Mame Dennis has more in common with Graham Greene's Aunt Augusta than with P.G. Wodehouse's Aunt Agatha or Aunt Dahlia.
Representative quote: "Auntie Mame was on her best behavior and pirouetted prettily from one to the next, talking about the Japanese beetle, a difficult mashie shot, elm blight, country day schools, the servant problem, and --- until I caught her eye --- the wisdom of legalizing prostitution."
You might not like it if: Eccentric aunts aren't your style.
How to get it: Downloadable, borrowable, and in print (in English, in Italian, and in many other languages, too).
[Originally posted 3/10/11. Reposted now in honor of the amazing news that Tilda Swinton is developing a film remake of Auntie Mame. As I've remarked to friends, colleagues, and strangers on the street, this is potentially the best thing ever to happen to humankind.]
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